Mr Fothergill's Aubergine Black Beauty Seeds, Large fruits with good flavour and texture. Gently spray flowers with tepid water to encourage fruit to set. Feed regularly once fruits have set.

Sow indoors, a warm kitchen windowsill is all you need for starting these seeds. Sow 0.5cm deep, thinly in a tray or pots of compost. Water well and place in a warm position. A temperature of 20-25°C. is ideal. Keep moist. Seedlings usually appear in 14-21 days. Transplant to individual pots when large enough to handle. Grow on in cooler, but not cold conditions. Plant out to large pots, growing bags or greenhouse border. Provide support with canes if necessary. For best results feed regularly when fruits begin to set. Plants may be grown outside in a warm, sunny sheltered location. However, outdoor crops will be later and smaller.

• Large purple fruits, a favourite in Mediterranean cooking
• Best grown in a greenhouse or polytunnel
• Good source of dietary fibre

Sow time: Jan-Apr
Flowering/Harvesting time: Aug-Oct